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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

No Environmental Protections, But We Can Regulate Women's Bodies

The Republicans in Wisconsin can't let go of their extreme right-wing agenda. Instead of passing a bipartisan mining bill last week that gave Gogebic Taconite what they publicly requested without sacrificing environmental protections (Wisconsin Way Mining Reform Act), the Republicans held steadfast to AB 426 with the goal to reduce government regulation in the form of environmental protections. Yes, Republicans, government regulation is good sometimes, it even ensures my milk is fresh, and you used to feel the same way.

But, no, they don't see it that way anymore, and since that was the Republicans' only jobs plan, we have no hope for any significant change in the other direction to finally recover from the recession. Not that the mining bill would have given us exactly that either, but it would have been something.

Instead, today the Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly will be trying to pass new abortion laws, because government regulation is good when it regulates women's bodies. Some of the new regulations include teaching only abstinence in sex education classes, because that works.

One abortion bill is similar to the vaginal probe legislation in Virginia, requiring a doctor to be in the room when abortion-inducing pills are taken, even though there is no medical need. It also requires an additional conversation between the doctor and patient within 24 hours to make sure she really wants it, because she can't be expected to thoughtfully consider the decision and talk to her doctor herself. The bill just makes getting an abortion more troublesome and difficult by increasing government regulation over women's bodies.

Another bill would ban insurance companies in Wisconsin from covering abortions. Are you kidding me?! More government regulation on women's bodies and now our insurance companies.

Today is more proof that the far-right Republicans in control of Wisconsin care only about their extreme ideological agendas and not jobs or the middle class.

Watch the Republicans talk about the need for government regulation today on WisEye!